Update on Document 4979 Specifications for Gallium Nitride Wafers

Update on Document 4979 Specifications for Gallium Nitride Wafers

By Michael Tran, SEMI Americas

The Gallium Nitride (GaN) Task Force (TF) of the SEMI North
America Compound Semiconductor Materials (CSM) Technical Committee (TC) Chapter
drafted document 4979, New Standard: Specification for Polished Monocrystalline
C-Plane Gallium Nitride Wafers some time ago. Currently, GaN wafers are sold by
substrate manufacturers and used by device manufacturers in the initial stages
of development. There is now a need for the standardization of GaN wafer
specifications.

It is still early enough in the production of round GaN
wafers where standardization can be the most effective. The document aims to be
the first SEMI Standard to provide specifications for GaN wafers.

The TF determined the timing was right to send the document for
letter ballot after surveying companies in the industry. The document was balloted
in Cycle 2, 2014 and reviewed by the SEMI North America CSM TC Chapter on May
21, 2014 in conjunction with CS MANTECH 2014. After careful consideration and
review of the additional comments and inputs received from the voting members,
the TF agreed to return the document for rework. The suggestions and comments
from the voters was to change the wafer diameters, thickness options, flat
orientations, and other GaN wafer properties. The document will be reballoted
as document 4979A sometime later in 2014.

Get Involved!

If you are interested in participating in the Gallium
Nitride (GaN) Task Force and/or the Compound Semiconductor Materials committee
or would like more information on the SEMI International Standards Program,
please contact Michael Tran from SEMI at 1.408.943.7019 or mtran@semi.org